Under Su Mengyao’s pleading gaze, Su Mengli glanced at Mo Xiangwen and could only nod helplessly in agreement.
Then he saw Su Mengyao flash him a triumphant “yes!” gesture, her face lighting up as she hurriedly gathered the books scattered across the table.
Su Mengli gave a wry smile and shook her head. After closing her notebook, she helped her sister tidy up the rest of the items on the table.
The three of them walked out of the library side by side. Su Mengyao let out a heavy sigh of relief.
“Phew, finally I can talk again.”
Su Mengli chuckled lightly. “Keeping quiet in the library is just common courtesy. It’s not like we asked you to do anything extreme—just hold your tongue for a little while.”
“Aw, come on. Xiao Yi just showed up, and I’d barely said two words to him.” Su Mengyao pouted in dissatisfaction. “Don’t lecture me.”
“I wasn’t lecturing you,” Su Mengli said, shooting her a speechless glance.
“Um, yeah, let’s drop the ‘Xiao Yi’ thing. It feels kinda weird hearing my online handle in real life.” Mo Xiangwen chimed in from the side. “Just call me Mo Xiangwen. It’s easier.”
“But I think ‘Xiangwen’ rolls off the tongue better—shorter and sweeter.” Su Mengyao’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “That said, I’ve got another idea. Wanna hear it?”
“Sure. What’s up?”
“Apart from online names and full names, don’t we have one more option?” Su Mengyao skipped ahead a couple of steps and turned back to him with a sly grin. “So, Mo Xiangwen, how about giving ‘Senior Sister’ a try?”
Mo Xiangwen shot her an exasperated look. He hadn’t expected her to have this kind of playful streak.
Sure, it felt a bit embarrassing to call an online friend “Senior Sister,” but it was just a title. Ever since arriving at school, he’d called his teaching assistants that countless times.
“What’s the matter, Su Mengyao? You really into being called ‘Senior Sister’ that much?”
To his surprise, Su Mengyao nodded without a hint of shame. “Yep! I’ve been dying to hear it.”
“Fine then, Senior Sister Su Mengyao.” Mo Xiangwen nodded and teased, “Happy now, Senior Sister Su Mengyao? Want me to say it a few more times?”
“Whoa, whoa, stop! I’m thrilled—totally thrilled.” Su Mengyao coughed lightly and turned her head away. “Ahem, didn’t expect my junior to be so obedient. Dinner’s on me later.”
Mo Xiangwen shook his head with a sigh. “Who knew one ‘Senior Sister’ would score me a free meal? But you’re making it sound like I only said it to get you to treat. Nah, forget it.”
“If Mengyao offered to pay, let her.” Su Mengli spoke up suddenly from beside him. “Though…”
Her words cut off abruptly. He turned to her in confusion and found her gazing at him expectantly.
“You don’t mean…”
“Since you already called Mengyao that…” She winked playfully. “Bet you won’t mind one more, right?”
He could kind of understand—after all, who wouldn’t want a cute girl in a sailor uniform sweetly calling them “senpai” or “Senior”?
But he figured there was a world of difference between being called that by a beautiful girl and by some buff dude. Who’d get a kick out of making someone call them “Senior Sister”?
“Senior Sister Su Mengli.”
“Mm, Junior Brother Mo Xiangwen.” Su Mengli’s lips curved into a pleased smile.
Mo Xiangwen sighed in resignation. “Maybe from now on, I’ll just call both of you ‘Senior Sister.'”
“That wouldn’t quite work, Junior Brother.” Su Mengli shook her head. “Imagine calling out ‘Senior Sister,’ and both of us answer. How awkward would that be?”
“Exactly!” Su Mengyao chimed in agreement.
“Then names it is.”
The three of them chatted and laughed all the way to Yipin Tea. By now, it was nearly 9 p.m., but lively bursts of laughter from students playing board games still echoed from inside.
Mo Xiangwen scanned the menu. “You still have blueberry tea?”
“Yes, we do.” The waiter smiled and nodded.
“I’ll have a blueberry tea, then.”
“Got it.”
“We’ll take two grape fruit teas.”
Su Mengyao rattled off her order without even glancing at the menu—she clearly knew it by heart.
“Together for all three. I’ll cover it.”
Mo Xiangwen opened his mouth to protest, but Su Mengli tugged lightly at his sleeve and shook her head.
He hesitated, then let it go. He could always treat the sisters back later.
The waiter glanced at him enviously. “Takeout or dine in?”
“Dine in.”
“Perfect. A server will bring your drinks up shortly. Please head inside and grab a seat.”
Yipin Tea employed plenty of student part-timers; you just took your numbered tag, and they’d deliver right to you.
Mo Xiangwen took the tag, and the trio headed upstairs to claim an empty table.
Yipin Tea had a great atmosphere, plenty of space, friendly service, affordable prices, and solid ingredients. No wonder the shop kept expanding, even buying out the neighboring storefront to knock down the walls.
“So, why were you two at the library?” Mo Xiangwen asked.
Su Mengli glanced at her sister. “Just giving Mengyao a quick review session so her grades don’t slip.”
“Not everyone’s a genius like you, Sis.” Su Mengyao shrugged nonchalantly. “It takes me extra time to study—that’s normal.”
“Why not review in your dorm?” Mo Xiangwen asked curiously. “Is the dorm environment that bad you had to head to the library?”
“Well…” Su Mengli and Su Mengyao exchanged a look. Su Mengli pondered for a moment before shaking her head. “We don’t live on campus, so we can’t just go back to the dorms.”
“And we’ve got a makeup class later, so we couldn’t head home right away,” Su Mengyao added.
That explained why they were at the library this late. He’d assumed they’d studied there right after dinner.
“But Mengyao, you said you wouldn’t play with us?” Mo Xiangwen frowned. “Did you two only just get to the library?”
“I was just joking.” Su Mengyao batted her eyes. “If you’d really called, I could’ve borrowed Sis’s laptop and queued up a game with you.”
Su Mengli’s face darkened. “Sounds like you just don’t want to study.”
“Heh heh.”
Hang on—that didn’t add up. Wouldn’t that make Pigeon one of Su Mengyao or Su Mengli? But they’d revealed their identities ages ago, so it couldn’t be them.
The only explanation was coincidence, meaning his guess about Pigeon and Yan Nuoya was wrong… at least that part.
Su Mengyao asked with a mischievous smile, “So, Junior Brother Mo Xiangwen, you said you were heading to the library to find someone? Who?”
She was hooked on the title now, huh?
Mo Xiangwen rolled his eyes at her. “A classmate. The girl with silver-white long hair I mentioned last time at Haidilao.”
At his words, both Su Mengli and Su Mengyao’s expressions turned a bit strange.
Puzzled, he watched as Su Mengli blinked and pointed behind him. “Xiangwen, is it her you’re looking for?”
Mo Xiangwen froze, then whipped around. There, at a nearby table, sat Yan Nuoya, waving at him with a smile.
